OREANDA-NEWS. Simulations as a medium of learning and planning has been gaining widespread acceptance in several organisations. Companies investing in simulations have access to a variety of choices in terms of technology. High-end technology solutions are not the only choice. In contrast, spreadsheet software provides a better medium for customisable simulations. Based on the extensive experience of developing simulations, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) suggests that most customisable standalone simulations developed in spreadsheet software offers the advantages of reduced development timelines, lower costs, flexibility in experimentation and elegant graphical user interfaces (GUI).

Spreadsheet software such as MS Excel® is globally used for number crunching and analysis due to its ease of use, hassle-free installation and management. When customisable standalone simulations are developed in spreadsheet software, they offer the following advantages:

Reduced development timeline: MS Excel® eliminates the need to create complex structures as needed in other technologies. Model structures and frameworks can be easily and rapidly built on the default features of MS Excel® making it a logical choice for many experts who wish to create simulation models quickly.

Lower costs: Given the reduction in development time, benefits of symmetric and streamlined communication, and the use of well tested and readily available models in spreadsheet software such as MS Excel®, the cost of developing a simulation reduces. This allows organisations to add to the project scope and enrich the learning experience instead of reducing project scope and / or diluting business requirements.

Experimentation flexibility: MS Excel® is widely used by SMEs and analysts as a tool to quickly translate ideas into models. Due to its pervasive use, some parts of a model may already be available to SMEs and can be plugged in directly into a simulation with minor changes. Its flexibility also generates avenues to validate untested ideas that can be rapidly adapted into the final solution with comparatively reduced rework and changes.

Elegant GUI: MS Excel® provides many aesthetically appealing 'look and feel' options in terms of layouts, drop-down selections, linked sheets, graphs and checkboxes. These are either natively available in MS Excel or can be created in it with ease.

Team synergies: Simulation development in spreadsheet software requires subject matter experts (SMEs) to transfer domain knowledge to math modelers who then translate the language of the expert into the language of variables. This combination keeps the team lean and agile. With the added advantage of familiarity with MS Excel® and modelling methodologies, communication is streamlined and output maximised. In contrast, using other technologies complicates the knowledge transfer process because of the number of technical specialists involved, programmers, graphic designers and software architects. The lack of the need to translate the requirement to another technology and the reduction in communication layers increases team synergy and allows for rapid implementation.

Commenting on the development and business benefits that the spreadsheet simulations would yield, Arvind Waghmare, consultant, modeling, COE, simulation and TOPSIM, Tata Interactive Systems, said, “Spreadsheet simulations can address functional requirements for creating various types of simulations in order to meet client's training and planning requirements. These simulations make no compromise either in look and feel or in the mathematics of the model and are cost-effective as well. We at Tata Interactive Systems recommend that organisations should consider using spreadsheet-based software to meet their training and planning requirements to some extent.”

Tata Interactive Systems has implemented over 350 simulations for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to reputed varsities, in geographies including North America, Europe, and Asia.